Boys, beer and amorous antics: what’s better at 30 than at 20
I recently celebrated 12 years of legally being an adult. In other words, I’m 30. I like being ten years older, despite the aches and pains. And I’ll tell you why.
Ariane Grande is. As is German singer Wincent Weiss. And so’s Harry Kane. They all turned 30 this year, just like me. I still can’t quite believe it. Wasn’t I only just 20? How’d that happen? In any case, I’ve been thinking about my age quite a bit. These are my insights that shouldn’t be taken personally, but with a pinch of salt.
1. Men
When I was 20, 30-year-old men were old to me. Ancient, to be precise. Now that I’m 30, I don’t feel the same way about blokes in their forties. Not only do I find Michael Fassbender attractive, but many other middle-aged men, too. Grey temples and with both feet firmly on the ground. I must say, I like it. The sight of 20-year-olds, on the other hand, at most awakens my maternal instinct that’s lying dormant somewhere inside me.
2. Birthdays
In my twenties, I believed in big birthday bashes. After all, I wanted to extensively celebrate, erm, something, right? The fact that I could’ve been driving a car for two years, but, instead, preferred to invest my money in travel over driving lessons? Now that I’m 30, I prefer a tasty dinner with just a handful of friends. And today, I don’t expect a drum roll for the fact that I could drive to the restaurant if I wanted to. Well, provided I owned a car. Well, some people might cheer about that, right? Does it ever stop?!
3. Presents
In my twenties, I enjoyed receiving any old stuff. Fun mobile holders that looked like Converse shoes, cute little boxes or tacky figurines. One thing I just couldn’t fathom was the modest wish of many adults: «Please don’t get me anything decorative.» Now I’ve hit 30, I feel the same way. I’m happy with food, fluffy towels or anything that falls under the category «usable». The only exception I’ll make when it comes to decorative items are lighthouses. Lighthouses always get the green light from me. Nothing’s changed in that department since I was twenty.
4. Beer
If there’s one thing I couldn’t bring myself to drink in my twenties, it was beer. The mere smell of it when someone opened a bottle would make me gag. Age 30, beer’s still a challenge. But if I must, I can manage a few sips of it. Provided I can wash it down with a glass of Rioja. Or water.
5. Water
When I was 20, water was the same to me as soccer and small talk: dead boring. Soft drinks, on the other hand, I poured down my throat by the gallon. Today, I’d probably be better off shedding some of those gallons turned kilos. After all, sugar will stick at some point. But what bothers me more about it is that it makes you pimply and tired. That’s why I’d rather have water these days. Or tea. Sound square? Maybe. But hey, sometimes I go crazy and have sparkling water. Or add a squirt of lemon. I’m a rebel at heart, after all.
6. Drivers
«They know what they’re doing,» I used to think about people in cars when I was 20. At 30, all I’m thinking is «help!» For they know not what they do. Or maybe they know but just aren’t doing it. Even when I’m cycling I double-check what’s going on to the left and right of me. My driving instructor used to call it the «Thurgau check». Because you never know if drivers from eastern Switzerland will stick to the rules.
7. Friends
If I’d talked about the «Thurgau check» too much when I was 20, I wouldn’t have met many of my friends from eastern Switzerland. Mind you «many» is relative. Concretely, I’m talking about three people. When I was 20, I was embarrassed if my number of friends could be counted on one hand. Today I know better. Quality beats quantity. Substantial conversations and genuine engagement can’t be shared in equal measure with 50 superficial acquaintances. And when you’re feeling low, one true friend is all you need.
8. Antics
In my twenties, I wasn’t big on long nights and total excess. But now that I’m 30, that’s changed. These days, I’m no longer on one book a week and reading until 2 a.m. Nope. I’ve recently gone on a three-book bender by three thirty in the morning. I know I mentioned it in the bit about fizzy water and lemon. But it begs repeating. I’m a rebel at heart. So how do I feel the morning after? You’ll probably have a rough idea after reading point 9.
But first, three recommendations to sooth a book hangover.
9. Back
My back’s sore. So’s my shoulder. In fact, my whole body’s sore. Unlike in my twenties, which included the odd twinge at the base of my spine, I hurt from head to toe now that I’m 30. Not constantly, of course. Sometimes just stretching twice will do to align my body with a loud crack. On the plus side, I can sit down without feeling bad. You know, my back and that. Nobody would’ve bought that one in my twenties.
10. Tolerance
While my first grey hairs, other superficial things as well as life in general annoyed me in my twenties, I simply lack the energy to get my knickers in a twist as a 30-year-old (point 9). I also ask myself less often if others like me. Instead, I ask myself more often if I like others. I also discovered that there’s more than black or white. There are beautiful shades in between – be it regarding (political) attitudes or lifestyles. And that’s the best part about being thirty.
How have you changed over the past ten years? Let me know in the comments!
60 people like this article
Darina Schweizer
Senior Editor
Darina.Schweizer@digitecgalaxus.chI like anything that has four legs or roots. The books I enjoy let me peer into the abyss of the human psyche. Unlike those wretched mountains that are forever blocking the view – especially of the sea. Lighthouses are a great place for getting some fresh air too, you know?
